LONDON, Jan 12: Dr Ishrat Hussain, former Governor State Bank of Pakistan and Dr Hafiz Shiekh, former Privatisation Minister are said to be in the run for the job of caretaker prime minister when the elections are called.

Informed sources here said that a couple of names from Punjab were also being considered but they thought the slot would ultimately go to Sindh as the opposition; especially the PPP would perhaps put its weight behind Hafiz Sheikh.

The sources also said that in view of the deteriorating regional situation and the latest accusation from the US that the Al Qaeda headquarters were located in Pakistan, President Musharraf was most likely to get himself re-elected from the sitting assemblies.

This, they said, would also ensure ‘continuity and unity of command’.

Meanwhile, Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid who was here on a short visit told a group of journalists that the next three to four months would be highly crucial for Pakistan and the region.

In his own characteristic style, he predicted that the PPP of Benazir Bhutto ‘will devour Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N in due course of time’.

He then reiterated that while Mr Sharif had compromised his political position greatly by cutting deals with Musharraf first to go to Saudi Arabia and then to come to London and the former, according to him, would not want to take the risk of coming back to Pakistan where a number of cases were pending against her.

He said the ruling PML would emerge victorious in the next general elections, adding the issues of dual nationality and graduate degrees were before the Supreme Court and once the courts had taken a decision on these two important questions one way or the other, the battle lines would become more definite.